Jeffrey Alan Wright

Jeffrey Alan Wright was born October 27, 1954 in Berwick, Pennsylvania and passed away peacefully at home September 30, 2025 in Lake Forest Park, Washington. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012, lung cancer in 2014, and fought hard for the last thirteen years to live, believing strongly that the benefits of life greatly outweighed the hardships. While Jeff’s illness was a part of his last decade, it certainly did not define his life, nor did it diminish the fiery spirit that those who knew Jeff loved and admired. There are not enough words to fully express his impact, but to honor his desire to “celebrate the journey” these are some highlights of Jeff’s wonderful and well lived life.

Jeff was born to parents Charles and Esther and grew up in Overland Park, Kansas with his four siblings: Kenton, Lynne, Sandra, and Janice. As a young boy he had a passion for adventure, imagination, invention, and troublemaking. Education started early for him, as he began kindergarten at just 4 years old. He was always a forward thinker, particularly fascinated by chemistry, science fiction, space, and technology; all of which carried his attention throughout his life. His family spent summers camping across the country, where Jeff developed a deep love for the outdoors, animals, water activities and storytelling. He was a silly kid who loved to make his siblings laugh by creating characters and telling stories, such as “The Green Hoppy Monster”. In High School, he studied German, which led him to create a somewhat elaborate film with his pet lizard titled “Der Drache Sache” (The Dragon Thing). This footage was later shared with his children, much to their amusement. He had a natural charisma that attracted the children in his neighborhood, who seemed to come flocking whenever he was outside. It was no surprise to anyone he chose the career he did.

**Many more wonderful stories of his childhood have been shared by Jeff’s siblings, and to attempt keeping this document succinct these memories will be shared separately in the comments below.**

At the ripe age of 17, Jeff entered a combination undergraduate and medical school program at University of Missouri-Kansas City where he fell in love with pediatric medicine. He finished medical school and began his career in Kansas. Ultimately, his love for pediatrics and the Pacific Northwest led him to Seattle, WA in 1988 where he first worked at Children’s Hospital and finished his career as Director of Pediatrics at the University of Washington (UW). Jeff’s contribution to the field of pediatrics was immense; he was a researcher, teacher, mentor, and beloved colleague, who treated his patients and their families with an unparalleled level of compassion. He was always trying to reimagine and innovate what medicine could be and how it could better serve our children. This led to many nights staying up to build customized computer programs for the UW pediatric clinic he helped establish, and devoting countless hours to researching and advocating for preventative health initiatives. Jeff’s wealth of knowledge and passion for his career allowed him to be a successful teacher, and the fact that many highly accomplished pediatricians learned from him is a contribution to this world that cannot be overstated.

Aside from Jeff’s professional accomplishments, his personal hobbies and skills were an important part of all that entails ‘Jeff’. He could build or fix anything he set his mind to (albeit with a bit of swearing along the way). He loved to cook and bake, and earned the coveted title of ‘master flinger’ from his wife, Sara, who enjoyed the fruits of his labor but spent countless hours trailing around him in the kitchen and cleaning up all that was flung about. He loved music, and had an appreciation for it that led to a collection the word ‘eclectic’ does not do justice. He was an avid reader and pursuer of knowledge. He could write computer programs, and developed a system for his own record keeping that only he could navigate or hope to understand. His passion for genealogy and contributions to various genealogical societies is impressive, and he traced his own lineage back many hundreds of years. He loved celebrations, theme parties, elaborate puzzles, and even more elaborate surprises - a holiday with Jeff often included all of the aforementioned. He loved the outdoors - camping, backpacking, fishing, hiking, and waiting up late at night for shooting stars. He was a pilot of small aircraft, and he loved sailing boats. Sometimes he would laugh so hard he couldn’t breathe, and tears would start to run down his face, a term affectionately called ‘the weepies’. Achieving the weepies at the end of any gathering was an indication that a great time was had by all.

Finally, and most importantly, Jeff was a beloved husband, father, and good friend.

Jeff was first married to PJ James in 1976 and is survived by their two sons Brandon and Logan Wright (Kristi Estes), and their children Kael Alekzander and Kairi Alyssa.

He was married secondly to Sara Norris in 1985 and is survived by their four children: David Greenspan (Kira Gezelowitz) and their son Tycho Kiran, Aliya Takos (Michael Takos) and their sons Oliver Michael & Oscar Michael, Elan Wright (Alyson McLean) and their children Aiden Charles and Hazel June, and Ariel Innes (Andrew Innes).

Jeff loved all of his children and grandchildren immensely, and often spoke about how proud he was of them, and that they were his greatest achievement. He will be missed dearly by all that knew and loved him. A small private family gathering honoring his life will take place at a later date. We encourage sharing any stories or memories you have of Jeff in the comment section below.

In lieu of flowers, any who wish to honor Jeff’s life are asked to make a donation in his name to either of the following organizations:

Reach Out and Read at UW Medicine Pediatric Center- a program which Jeff helped establish: Donate at https://give.uwmedicine.org/give/?source=MREACH

Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center - where Jeff received years of world class care and participated in the Obliteride fundraiser cycling event: Donate at

https://www.fredhutch.org/en/ways-to-give.html